Smardale Hall Motte

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Motte)

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameSmardale Hall Motte
Alternative Names
Historic CountryWestmorland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishWaitby

NY 739082 Smardale. A recently discovered defensive site between Smardale Hall and the railway is unlikely to be Iron Age. The site is sub-rectangular, surrounded by a ditch for most of its length and possibly a motte and bailey predecessor to the Tudor Hall (Higham and Jones).

A triangular mound is visible on OS air photographs up against the railway embankment. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

May also be the site of medieval house adjacent to Smardale Hall Pele. The earthworks are not obvious on the air photo and Matthew Emmott could not see them on his visit to the site. The identification of these earthworks as a motte needs to be confirmed by an experienced field archaeologist.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY739082
Latitude54.4684982299805
Longitude-2.40419006347656
Eastings373900
Northings508200
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 90
  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 307 (mention)
  • Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carlisle: Carel Press) p. 89
  • Hudleston, C.Roy and Boumphrey, R.S., 1978, Cumberland Families and Heraldry p. 406

Journals

  • Higham, N.J. and Jones, G.D.B., 1976, 'Frontiers, forts and farmers. Cumbrian aerial survey, 1974-5' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 132 p. 42-3,47